Extra patrols can't stop shooting spree

ONE man was murdered and a number of other gun related crimes reported as police try to crack down on a spate of shootings over the past month, despite a police operation to rid the city of its "Gunchester" image.

GUNMEN are wreaking havoc on south Manchester's streets again - in spite of police efforts to crack down on their activities.

At the end of February police launched Operation Breakthrough after a spate of gun crime incidents - 14 shootings and firearm-related incidents in less than a month.

Police says regular patrols have been boosted by firearms officers and the force's intelligence staff, armed crime unit, major investigation team and CID have been working hard to bring gun criminals to justice over the past few months.

But still the shootings have continued.

On Friday 26-year-old Jonathon Cawley was murdered near his Old Trafford home - while anti-gun violence campaigners were marching through south Manchester for the climax of Peace Week, an event organised to rid the city of its "Gunchester" image. Jonathon died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Earlier that day a motorist saw a gun being fired during a car chase around the roundabout at the end of Princess Parkway. A dark saloon, believed to be a Volvo T5, was being chased by another dark saloon, believed to be an old-style BMW 5 series with tinted windows. The gunman was hanging out of the rear passenger window and fired four shots with a handgun towards the Volvo.

Three days later a 22-year-old man was chatting to friends outside the post office on Stretford Road, Hulme, at around 7.40pm, when he was shot in the leg. It is believed the gunman got out of the front passenger seat and was in a silver or grey car with three other men in dark clothing, which headed off in the direction of Princess Parkway.

Anti-gun campaigner Erinma Bell, who helped to organise Peace Week, said: "The recent flare-up is disappointing. But gun crime will happen - we can never eradicate it completely.

"As a city we can only keep talking about peace and continue to do the best we can.

"The community has to keep liaising with the police because they are working with us to try to stop the trouble. We hope that this will filter down to the people on the streets.

"My husband Raymond and I have started to take young people to meetings of independent advisory groups where community members advise the police so they can listen and observe. When they get back to their `crews' they talk about what they've seen and we hope that in time the peace message will start to get through."

Last year Metro News revealed most families of gun crime victims never get justice.

Assistant Chief Constable David Whatton said there has been a 15 per cent reduction of shootings on last year's figures. He said: "The recent shootings are committed by a very small minority of offenders who are subject to an intensive response co-ordinated by Operation Xcalibre and involving local police divisions and specialist units within Greater Manchester Police.

"Since October 2004 over 20 people have been arrested and charged with offences ranging from murder to possession of a firearm and are currently going through the courts process.

"We are committed to further protecting our communities and are directly targeting the people we know cause the greatest threat and upset."